As a family, we don’t particularly buy into traditional gift-giving.

One year, instead of purchasing anything for each other, we purchased gifts for a family going through a rough patch. Another Christmas was all about experiences – dinner out for my folks, movie passes for the younger ones, whitewater rafting trips for the adventurous. Most years, we exchange only homemade gifts.

The Wire Bridge in New Portland decorated for the holiday season. Dee Menear/Franklin Journal

Purchases, if necessary, are limited to things we can find in independent shops, or creations by local artists, crafters and jewelers.

This year, we decided to forego holiday shopping altogether and vowed to spend more time together. We already have so much, more clutter isn’t going to bring us more joy.

With no time, energy or dollars earmarked for holiday shopping,  I was less than enthusiastic when I was sent on a mission to locate the perfect gift for an unexpected casual holiday gathering.

It was not a task I was particularly looking forward to, but I had agreed so I set out to browse downtown shops to see if anything caught my eye.

I had mistakenly timed my Friday afternoon shopping trip with the exodus of school buses, an influx of weekend skiers, and preparations for a weekend holiday celebration. As I circled the downtown block for the third time looking for a place to park, I was ready to call it quits.

But a promise is a promise, so I sucked it up.

What seemed like hours later, I finally turned into a spot as far away as possible from the shops I wanted to check out.

Except for a mid-winter chill that had settled in long before it was due, I was oblivious to my surroundings as I hurried to finish my assignment.

Although the shops were filled with nifty gadgets, interesting gizmos and fun finds, my shopping trip was a bust.

Feeling frustrated and defeated, I stepped back onto the sidewalk of my final stop just in time for a stiff breeze to remind me to pull my hood back over my head. As I made the adjustment, I looked up and, for the first time, I noticed the holiday decorations adorning the downtown street, a street I travel multiple times a day. My favorite sandwich shop is on this block. So is my usual coffee haunt.

I’d been on this street that morning but didn’t notice the wreaths with perfectly placed red bows hanging on the light poles lining the main drag or the merry scenes that were set in the storefronts. I certainly hadn’t made note of a tiny snowman on the lawn of a nearby home or the tree adorned in its holiday decor on the town green.

As I headed home, I saw children joyfully tossing snowballs while their parents put the finishing touches on their subtle, yet beautiful outdoor holiday decorations. I could almost hear their laughter as I passed by.

Turns out my shopping trip wasn’t a bust at all. It was was a reminder that the beauty of the season doesn’t have to come in beautiful packages topped with pretty bows. The best gift, I believe, is the gift of time well-spent with loved ones. It is something I intend to do more of this season and beyond.